Delhi's new blame game: Top police officers become fall guys for Capital's rape problem as politicians pass the buck

Over four months after the December 16 gang-rape that shook the nation and more than two weeks after five-year-old Gudiya was attacked, the Delhi Police officers in whose districts these crimes happened have been transferred.

DCP South Chhaya Sharma, the 1999 batch IPS officer under whose watch the December 16 gang-rape took place, has been transferred to Mizoram, while DCP East Prabhakar, a 2003 batch IPS officer under whose watch Gudiya was raped in Gandhinagar, has been moved to the Prime Minister's security.

Delhi Police chief Neeraj Kumar, however, stays put.

Transferred: DCP East Prabhakar (left) has been moved to the PM's security detail, while DCP South Chhaya Sharma (right) has been shifted to Mizoram

The transfers seem to have been tailored to address public opinion and mollify those who are affected most by it: Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and her son, East Delhi MP Sandeep Dikshit.

This is Delhi's big election year, and Sheila's big chance to make it four Congress wins in a row. Besides, the general elections of 2014 are approaching too, and Delhi elects seven members to the Lok Sabha, a slice that could be vital in the hung House that is widely expected.

Fix responsibility

Both Sheila and Sandeep had been very vocal in asking the Ministry of Home Affairs to fix responsibility for the horrific incidents. In their assessment, the buck stopped at the top of the Delhi Police. Their demands have been met, but only partially, and far too late.

"First of all, I don't have police under me and what they have done today is something that they have done under their wisdom. But ever since the December 16 incident, I had expressed that someone senior, at the top, needs to take the responsibility. It shook the nation," said the Delhi CM.

Asked if the Delhi Police chief was responsible, Sheila told Mail Today: "I don't know what kind of message any action on the commissioner right now will send as he is retiring in June or July. But, accountability at the top would still send out a message as the Delhi government is the face of the Union government in Delhi even though we don't have land or police under us."

Placating the masses? A major part of the anger during the rape protests was directed towards the police

The East Delhi MP was even more candid. "I think the transfers of these DCPs are more administrative, and (anyway) I never put any pressure on the (issue of) DCP transfers. As for the Commissioner's removal, I do retain my stand, which I have had since December. It is not a personal comment against an individual but sometimes you have to send a signal, and it was an extraordinary incident and the subsequent developments as well… society was at the tipping point in its distrust of the police... an extraordinary step needed to be taken," Sandeep said.

MAIL TODAY COMMENT

A nation was outraged, a new law against rape was passed,and a fasttrack trial commenced in the December 16 gang-rape case.

But nothing really changed; the indignation and anger of the masses did not translate into fear for criminals and perverts, or Gudiya wouldn’t have been violated and brutalised.

Justice needs to be swifter, and it must appear to be so.

As far as policing is concerned, moving a few heads around within the same system won’t do.

The entire system needs to be changed and made real-time responsive.

Delhi Police chief Neeraj Kumar denied that the reshuffle was a fallout from the rape incidents.

"Chhaya Sharma has been transferred to Mizoram. On my request, she was kept in Delhi to crack the case. She has cracked the case and filed a charge-sheet; now she is moving out. The MHA wanted to keep her for two months more but she wanted to stay till December for her children. However, Prabhakar's transfer is routine. He has completed two years in East Delhi and is now being transferred to VIP security as per the norms. Both transfers are routine," he said.

No transfer

On being asked about the rumours of his transfer, Kumar said: "Sorry to disappoint you, but I have not received any communication about my moving out." Kumar retires in two months.

Prabhakar headed East Delhi, the district where the rape of five-year-old Gudiya sparked protests across the Capital and the nation. The police was accused of not investigating the kidnapping and subsequent rape of the girl properly.

An official probe on Sunday held the Station House Officer of Gandhinagar as responsible for dereliction of duty. A senior police official said the transfer of Prabhakar came against the backdrop of the rape incident and it was "obvious".

On Friday, the SC declined to initiate contempt action against the Delhi Police for the alleged delay in lodging a FIR in the Gudiya case but took serious exception to money being offered to the family members to keep quiet.

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The court was not impressed with the submission that the concerned constable, who had offered Rs 2,000 to the family, has been suspended and said he must not have been acting on his own.

"He must have been acting on some instruction. Why should a constable go himself and offer money. Somebody must have been responsible," a bench comprising Chief Justice Altamas Kabir and Justices Vikramajit Sen and Sharad Arvind Bobde said.